Top Billboard Hot 100 hits of the 1960s

Thursday

May 4, 2017 at 5:44 PMMay 5, 2017 at 10:15 AM

Billboard’s top singles of the ’60s shows the diversity of the decade and its changing tastes, from early dance and instrumental tunes to the rock and soul hits nearer to the 1970s. How many do you remember the words to?:

1. “The Twist,” Chubby Checker

Peak Date: Sept. 24, 1960

2. “Hey Jude,” The Beatles

Peak Date: Sep. 28, 1968

3. “The Theme From ‘A Summer Place,’” Percy Faith And His Orchestra

Peak Date: Feb. 27, 1960

4. “Tossin’ And Turnin,’” Bobby Lewis

Peak Date: July 15, 1961

5. “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles

Peak Date: Feb. 1, 1964

6. “I’m A Believer,” The Monkees

Peak Date: Dec. 31, 1966

7. “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In,” The 5th Dimension

Peak Date: April 12, 1969

8. “Sugar, Sugar,” The Archies

Peak Date: Sept. 20, 1969

9. “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” Marvin Gaye

Peak Date: Dec. 14, 1968

10. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires

Peak Date: Dec. 3, 1960

11. “It’s Now Or Never,” Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires

Peak Date: Aug. 20, 1960

12. “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Ray Charles

Peak Date: June 2, 1962

13. “I’m Sorry,” Brenda Lee

Peak Date: July 23, 1960

14. “Love Is Blue (L’amour Est Bleu),” Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra

Peak Date: Feb. 10, 1968

15. “Hello, Dolly!,” Louis Armstrong And The All Stars

Peak Date: May 9, 196416. “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” The Four Seasons

Peak Date: Nov. 17, 1962

17. “Sugar Shack,” Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs

Peak Date: Oct. 12, 1963

18. “Honky Tonk Women,” The Rolling Stones

Peak Date: Aug. 23, 1969

19. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay,” Otis Redding

Peak Date: March 16, 1968

20. “Big Bad John,” Jimmy Dean

Peak Date: Nov. 11, 1961

This top Billboard Hot 100 songs of each decade is ranked based on each title’s performance on the Hot 100 through the chart dated Nov. 1, 2014. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits across multiple decades, time frames are weighted to account for fluctuating chart turnover rates due to different methodologies utilized.